Scary Stuff

Now that hurricane Sandy has blown through the eastern States and Southern Ontario, those of us who still have hydro can be thankful to have come through the storm unscathed. Many residents in the eastern States were not so lucky, and our thoughts and prayers are with them today as they struggle with power outages, flooding and scattered debris.

In less scary news, with Hallowe'en just around the corner, I want to share this easy yet eerie pumpkin carving project: The Mouse Motel. Thanks to blogger Jen Selk for reminding me about this fun idea which was originally conceived by the creative minds at Martha Stewart.

 
My Mom and I carved our pumpkins on Saturday afternoon, and with a bit of trial and error we each completed our own mouse motel. Afraid to use a knife but without a pumpkin carving kit, we improvised by starting the holes with a corkscrew and then rounding them out with a sturdy spoon. I think they turned out great!

 

  

Project Costs:

2 Small Pumpkins x $1.50 = $3.00

2 Pkgs Mice (Dollarama) x $1.00 = $2.00

Pumpkin Carving Fun = Priceless!

Photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Happy Hallowe'en: PartyLite Edition

Since I don't have kids, I don't go "all in" when it comes to Hallowe'en decor. However, I do like to add a touch of traditional orange and black around the house in the spirit of the season. This year I decided to work with items I already have, spending just a nominal amount on edible treats, plastic ants and ribbon. I transformed the PartyLite Woodland Retreat™ collection into a haunted hollow for the occasion.

The Woodland Retreat™ pillar holder is perfect
for yummy chocolate treats!

Black tapers and icky ants add a spooky vibe to the
Woodland Retreat™ tealight/taper trio.
Nothing says Hallowe'en like black candles!!

The Woodland Retreat™ Pillar Garden Tray

gets loaded up with bone candy and
skeletons full of powdered sugar.

I like my Hallowe'en decor simple, modern & edible!
How do you like yours?

All Woodland Retreat™ products and candles
provided by PartyLite Gifts Canada.

Chic Black Candles

Black candles are not only for witchcraft and voodoo rituals - they can also be a very chic way to decorate your home for Hallowe'en without going over the top. This weekend I swapped out all of my white candles for black ones, and voila, Hallowe'en decorating done!

Martha Stewart thinks black candles are a good thing.

Image: MarthaStewart.

Black candles look great with pewter & crystal.

Image: Country Living magazine

Hallmark Magazine creates a simple Hallowe'en vignette.

Image: OhDeeDoh

Katie Bower knows how to do Hallowe'en chic.
Image: BowerPower

And they're not just for Hallowe'en:

Eddie Ross chose black tapers for his Thanksgiving table.
Image: LonnyMag.

Jenna Lyons' living room chandelier sparkles with black candles.
Image: Domino magazine.

Happy Hallowe'en decorating!!

Happy Hallowe'en

Boo!!!

Scared you!

Cherish Toronto would like to wish everyone a Happy Hallowe'en. Take it easy out there tonight, and don't forget to make a donation to UNICEF in support of Schools for Africa. Visit www.trickortreatforunicef.ca for more information.

Batkin Rings from Eddie Ross

I'm not one to overdo the Hallowe'en decor, but these Batkin Rings from Eddie Ross were quick & easy to make. They'll add a touch of fun to the Hallowe'en dinner table.



Click here to link to Eddie's blog where you'll find the bat template and simple to follow instructions.